Prince Charles' popularity declining as younger Royals' increases

OKLAHOMA CITY- Despite growing calls for the abolishment of the monarchy, a 2015 survey found that 79 percent of British people want to keep the royal family. However, with both Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge likely to ascend to the throne in the next few years, public opinion on the monarchy is likely to go through some drastic changes.

The queen’s popularity rating sits at 81percent with the majority of British people wanting her to retain her title until the time of her passing. Her reign has left Prince Charles waiting 65 years for ascension to the throne, making him the longest waiting successor. The queen’s popularity is followed by Prince William whose approval rating is at 79 percent with a noticeably high rating among the younger generation. However, Prince Charles’ rating sits at 60 percent with the majority of Britons wanting the throne to skip Charles and go straight to William.

Prince Charles’ unpopularity has been attributed to multiple causes. The Queen's longevity on the throne has not helped Charles, who some argue will be too old to do anything as king, as Charles’ image has changed significantly over the years, from that of an eligible playboy to that of a posh, boring and unhelpful older man. What’s more, there have been various incidents which have questioned his role as a family man, notably his reported absence from his grandchildren’s lives, and most recently, criticism due to making his son’s walk behind their mother's hearse.

However, without a doubt, Prince Charles tumultuous relationship with Princess Diana, “The People’s Princess”, did the most damage for the Prince's image and popularity. Despite reportedly loving Camilla, his current wife, since before he met Diana, at the time she would have been considered too worldly to be a suitable wife. So Charles married Diana, a younger, attractive and “purer” choice for a wife. However proving herself to be a lot stronger than previously portrayed, Diana publicly fought and shared the rockier times of their marriage with the public. As a result Diana was adored by the public and painted as the victim in the relationship, charming the public in a way that always left Charles viewed as the evil person. The royal family bore the brunt of the anger in the wake of her death being labelled cold and uncaring, with Charles’ popularity plummeting.

Today Diana’s words and reputation continue to wreak havoc on the royal family despite spending decades attempting to improve their image. Revealing recordings recently released in the run up to the 20th anniversary of her death appear to have done their damage, in which Diana talks unfiltered about her problems being a part of the royal family with a focus on Charles, their failing marriage and her suffering through his affair with Camilla. New polls carried out by the Sunday Express reveal that 27 percent thought less of Prince Charles due to the tape and that many have not forgiven Camilla for her part in the affair with only 19 percent believing that Camilla was fit to be queen.

However, all has not been lost. New figures showed that Prince William and Prince Harry have gained popularity with just under half of those surveyed revealing they thought more of them for speaking about their love and grief for their mother, Princess Diana. They are seen as shaking up the palace and doing things differently, like William raising his children away from palace walls and Harry’s relationship with an interracial divorced actress. The majority of Britons surveyed have expressed their desire for Prince William to become king over Prince Charles. However, various experts have warned that Prince Charles forgoing his duty to be king could cause chaos.

The Royals continue to be viewed by some as good for the economy and by others as people living a lavish lifestyle on taxpayers money.The Queen’s popularity appears to have preserved the monarchy for now, but as to whether this will transfer to the future king should be something the royal family should find worrisome.

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